Abstract

MORA SANCHEZ, José A; MOYETONES, Francis  and  JOVER CERDA, Miguel. Effect of dietary protein level on growth performance of fingerlings of catfish yaque, Leiarius marmoratus, fed with three commercial diets. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.2, pp.187-194. ISSN 0798-7269.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary protein level on growth performance of bagre yaque, Leiarius marmoratus, fingerlings fed with three commercial extruded diets. Fish (20.3 g) were placed in twelve 0.5 m³ cages at a density of 15 fish per cage. Groups of three cages were placed inside each of four 2 m³ interior tanks. Three commercial diets or treatments (28, 32, and 36% crude protein) were randomly assigned to cages inside each interior tank to adjust to a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Each interior tank was provided with continuous water flow (1.5 L/min), aeration and independent drains. Diets were provided at apparent satiety for 40 days. At the end of the experiment there were no significant differences (P >0.05) on specific growth rate (SGR), daily feed consumption (DFC), daily feed conversion ratio (FCR), thermal growth coefficient (TGC), and protein efficiency rate (PER) of fingerlings fed the three commercial diets. SGR was 1.8%/d. The DFC varied between 2.34 and 2.6% BW/d, FCR was between 1.33 and 1.5, and PER varied between 2.08 and 2.4. The protein levels studied had the same effect on growth, feed conversion rate, daily food, and protein efficiency ratio on fingerlings of Leiarius marmoratus.

Keywords : Leiarius marmoratus; catfish; Pimelodidae; thermal growth coefficient; TGC.

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